The DIY Pantry (5 page)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
   
2. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together with a whisk. Set aside.
   
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar together with an electric mixer on high until fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add in the egg and the chocolate extract.
   
4. Reduce the speed again to low and add in the dry ingredients, one spoonful at a time. Mix until the dough is completely mixed.
   
5. Roll the dough into
   ³
   ⁄
   ₄
   " balls and place on the prepared baking sheet approximately 2" apart. Flatten each ball to a
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₈
   "-thick disk. If you want to be really fancy, you can use an old-fashioned shortbread cookie stamp.
   
6. Bake for 8–9 minutes, rotating once for even baking.
   
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
   
8. While the cookies are cooling, create the filling by creaming the shortening and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high until very smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
   
9. Once the cookies have cooled completely, flip half of them upside down so their bottom side is facing up. Spoon a dollop of filling onto each upside-down cookie. Press the remaining cookies onto the cookies topped with filling. The filling should reach the outer edge of the cookies.
   
10. For the best taste and texture, place cookies in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
    
11. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    

Potato chips are a delightful treat, and making them in the oven makes the task quicker and far less messy than their deep-fried counterparts. Keep in mind that the thickness of the slices in this recipe makes a big difference. If you make them too thin, the edges will burn before the middle is done, and if you slice them too thick, then the entire outside will crust over while leaving the insides soft. The perfect slice is an even
¹
⁄
₁₆
" thickness, which is about the thickness of a penny. However, don’t despair—even if you can’t get perfect slices, just keep an eye on them while they’re in the oven to keep them from getting too crisp.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. Wash and dry the potatoes. Slice them thin, about the thickness of a penny, using a mandoline or knife.
   
3. Place the potato slices in a large bowl and drizzle olive oil over them. Toss the slices to coat them evenly.
   
4. Lay the potato slices out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake them until they’re a deep, golden brown but not burned, about 25–30 minutes. Remove the chips from the baking sheet and let sit until they cool completely. They will finish crisping as they sit, so resist the urge to return them to the oven.
   
5. Sprinkle the chips with salt, pepper, and paprika, and serve.
   
6. Store in an airtight container for 1–2 days.
   

At the grocery store, you’ll find shelf after shelf of granola bars, but most of these treats aren’t as healthy as their boxes say they are. Using barley malt syrup in this recipe gives the bars a nutty flavor that is difficult to resist but also cuts down on the sugar, so they’re not quite as sweet—or bad for you—as the store-bought variety. To pack these up for the road, just wrap them in wax paper or place them in a resealable container before heading out the door.